The present invention relates to performance apparatus which receives user's operation of a plurality of key switches and execute a performance in response to the user's operation of the key switches, as well as tone generation methods for the performance apparatus.
Application program called “TENORI-ON” has been known, for example, from
Non-patent Literature 1: “Keitai News” [online], Jan. 16, 2002, ADSCII, [searched on Apr. 1, 2004], the Internet website http://k-tai.ascii24.com./k-tai/news/2002/01/16/632762-000.html?geta, and
Non-patent Literature 2: “World of Digista Curator” [online], Digital Stadium, Toshio Iwai, Exhibit=TENORI-ON, [searched on Apr. 1, 2004], the Internet website http://www.nhk.or.jp/digista/lab/digista_ten/curator.html.
In performance apparatus, such as those for portable phones and game apparatus, each user's input designating a particular point is received on 16×16 grids that are arranged in a matrix configuration with the horizontal axis representing the timing and the vertical axis representing the tone pitch. These performance apparatus sequentially generate tone pitches corresponding to user-designated points from leftmost columns. In this way, the users can use the performance apparatus to compose and perform simple music pieces with enhanced elaborateness and originality.
In the aforementioned conventional performance apparatus, tone generating data is preset per designatable point, and tone pitches corresponding to the designatable points are fixed on the basis of these presettings. Thus, with the conventional performance apparatus, tone pitch adjustment, such as octave change, can not be performed with ease during a performance of a music piece.
Further, in the aforementioned conventional performance apparatus, a tone volume is fixed, during a performance of a music piece, on the basis of a tone volume preset by a volume adjustment section. Because the volume adjustment section adjusts the output tone volume of the performance apparatus, it is difficult to perform fine tone volume adjustment. Thus, with the conventional performance apparatus, fine (delicate) tone volume adjustment can not be performed with ease during a performance of a music piece.
Further, in the aforementioned conventional performance apparatus, tone lengths set between rows of the two-dimensionally-arranged designatable points are also fixed, and thus, tone length adjustment can not be performed with ease during a performance of a music piece.